Coronary Care Unit Nurses’ Experiences of Care Management Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Recognizing various aspects of the self-efficacy concept in specialized medical units such as intensive care units (ICUs) and coronary care units (CCUs) has the potential to help nurses improve their quality of care. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative content analysis study in 2018 in hospitals of the Guilan Province, northern Iran, to help explain nurses’ perceptions of self-efficacy in care management within CCU wards. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses from CCUs. Using Graneheim and Lundman’s (2004) analytical techniques, we extracted three main themes and nine sub-themes from the data: decline in self-efficacy (e.g., time constraint, high work pressure, emotional stresses, and loss of motivation); care development (e.g., experience-based care, knowledge-based care, and personal capability); and organizational challenges (e.g., weak management and unavailable physician). Our findings suggest that decreases in nurse self-efficacy (and resulting weak care management) could be prevented by establishing clear plans and enrolling nurses into appropriate training courses. The constant development of knowledge and experience alongside supportive supervisors and physicians are also effective in improving nurses’ self-efficacy.